Newspaper Page Text
THE
REFORMER
Published Evkhy Friday Evening at
FORT GAINES, OA.
FORT GAINES, GA., AUGUST 31, 1894
POPULIST TICKET.
For Governor:'
JAMES K. MINKS.
Fqr Secretary of State:
Dh. A. L. NANCE,
For Treasurer:
;<). M. JONES.
For Comj tr oiler.General;
,W- 11. KEMP.
For Attorney General:
J. A. It. M’HAFFY
For Commissioner Agriculture:
J. B. BARRETT.
For Representative of Second Oongres.
siouul District:
W. E. SMITH.
For Representative of Eleventh Senato¬
rial District:
N. T, CKOZIER.
For Representative Clay County:
HON. It. M. BROWN.
BOMBSHELLS.
Libor makes till but owns Iho least.
The way to secure reform is to vote for it.
WImt is pure, undefiled democracy, any¬
how?
Let us liavo public ownership of public
utilities.
The democratic party w ill soon have a
chance—-to get out.
The American Railway Union will strike
at tlu» ballot box
Home of those alliance democrats make
first class cuckoos.
The plutocrats can never blind American
people by force.
The jteople ure now on a single punts
basts—just got one pair. «
Ex President Harrison’s boom is no bet¬
ter. It is just able to bo out.
The money pirates seem to have tho gov¬
ernment, under complete control
No matt is a good populist who is not do
tug something for the cause.
The Arkansas democrats stole a large sec¬
tion of the Omaha platform.
A western man calls Grover “a Buffalo
chip.” That's a pretty hard hit.
A* we drift away from an honest ballot
we come nearer the deadly bullet.
If you want good times vote for them.
Any kind of a fmt dollar is better than a
democratic promise.
We have no objection to Cleveland fish
ing; he does less harm then than any other
time.
Any man who takes the trouble to think
knows there is something wrong.
Everything is all right with tho fellow
who don’t work aud lives better than tho
fellow who does.
Plutocracy don’t dread strikes half as
much as votes. If you want to hit them
where they live, defeat their candidate
Idle money and idle men and women!
Tint is the condition of the country today,
and the democratic party is at the bat.
A good paj*er dollar, like a good Christian,
doesn't need any redeemer. It redeems it¬
self everytime it pays for labor or produce.
The people are paying rather high for the
kind of government they ave getting.
The peoples party hasn’t got any million¬
aires in it. They don't feel at home there.
There is plenty of money in the New
York banks. Yes, audit is going to stay
there too.
An exchange says that the democratic
patty is going to the dogs. This will be bad
for the dogs.
Tac struggling of the masses is for em¬
ployment and a fair share on the results of
theii labor.
Repealing the silver law to cure haul times
was like piecing a dog's tail to make it
shorter.
When the people get hungry enough they
will ask for a new deal.
The bondholders and bankers are the only
men who ever pretended to doubt the credit
of the United States.
The Israelites created a golden calf and
worshipped it. The morkingmen create
capital and then bow to it.
Congress knows what to do to relieve the
people, but congress is not working at that
kind of business just now.
The sugar trust preserves a “parity” be¬
tween both old parties. With it both are
equal intrinsic value.
The American Rai’way Union has con¬
cluded to go into politics, and now the or¬
ganization will amount to something,
Capitalists have control of the old
parties, and the old parties have con¬
trol of workingmen. Party is a con¬
venient bait to catch suckers with,
and capitalists have a clinch on the
republican worm and the democratic
fly!
What a dandy financial system
you are upholding when of which you approve
of the government, be assuming you all are
supposed sponsibility to connected part, with the bank¬ re
ing business, whilo the bankers got
all the profits l Can you think ?
JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES’LETTER.
from Editor the northwest Constitution—Upon I find that my return public
rumor connects my name with an inten
tion to oppose the nominees of the state
democratic convention upon the bust
ings, and to offer as an independent can
didate for congress in the Atlanta dts
trict.
I have neither of these intentions—
least of all, the last—but the prevalence
of this rumor justifies a word as to my
position.
From my place m the ranks, where
for twelve years I have fought unself
ishly speak and without reward, respectful I have a right
to frankly to the hoar
ing of the democracy of Georgia. No
man has questioned mv sincerity ‘ttfe in the
\ ast ami I put behind mo here pos
sibilitv of misconstruction, when I say
tlmt I do not desire now or in the fti-
1 lire atir office the people have in their
liallots to bestow. I am wounded in no
friendnliip, ssfsssfz smitten in no ambition and
:.z.k
politics i.ensivo in Georgia, and seriously appre
for the welfare of the party to
which I belong.
You who write know as well ns I who
apeak that there is discord in the ranks
of the Georgia democracy, and discon
tent You brewing bitterness and division
know as well as I do that this boast
ful jority prophecy is of 70.000 democratic ma
the mere bravado of politicians
who realize the possibility of no major
ity at all, and who illustrate their appre
hension by the tremendous energy now
bemg put forth in men and money and
veteran democrats stayed away from the
primary election in order to hold them
selves free for the October issue, and
you know, or yon ought to know, that
thousands of these men will absent
themselves from the polls in October, or
go thoro to civst a straight and fearless
ballot against the nominees of tho parly
to which they have been blindly true
for a generation. If you do not know
these things, yon can easily verify them
by the scantiest investigation luto the
sentiment of jour own locality aud of
the counties about it
Georgia is ripe today with tho spirit
of revolt! These are bold words, but
the they arc the truest you have heard since
campaign opened, aud I challenge
you to refute them iu fact, however
much your extremes of partisan loyalty
nm y lead you to deny them iu boustfiil
and swelling platitudes.
What is the basis of this discontent in
Ihe ranks of a long-united party?
It does not grow, abstractly, out of
the defeat of General Evans for gov
ernor. With Evans politicians at work
and General Fvans himself corralled on
the stump in nn excess of a magnauim
ity toward a victorious opponent, this
explanation will not begin to meet tho
situation. It is hot due to the diversity
of the sentiment on the tariff issue. The
tariff was long General since truthfully epito
mized by Hancock as a local
question, and the varying views of Geor
giaus for twelve years past have never
yet been precipitated in real division nor
the threat of it. Neither can it be as
cribed to the financial theories which
beset us. In the conglomeveat jumble of
platforms—state, national aud congres
sional—presented tisans and by compromising t<;xv
heroic latitude interpreted liberally and with
there by partisan newspapers,
is satisfaction for every separate
view and an ample basis for joyous bar
mony into which even the populist may
gather in the old faslioned ratio of 16 to
1. But neither the bitterness of parti
straddle sauship, nor the i-ins of tariff, uor the
of the financial issue, cau ex
plain the deep discouteut that is grow
iug You in the state.
will explain it? If not, I will. I
will tell you where the trouble lies. It
is in the protest of tho thinking masses
against the methods that are objection
able aud a drift in our politics that is
dangerous and deadly. Let me tell you,
Constitution, that, although it may sleep
long and sluggishly under the reign of
the demagogue, there is nothing iu
God's great universe of thought keener
aud truer and wises and bolder at lust
than the awakened judgment of the peo
pie. The man or men who discount
this fact, discount history, reason aud
common sense. And the woods of Geor
gia, like the streets of your cites, are full
of men who are carrying in patriotic
hearts a protest, silent now, but tremen
dous hereafter.
I am tho humblest of these men, per
haps. unworthy. Perhaps the w eakest and most
But I will voice this protest
lor them. I will speak without fear aud
without apolopy, in the freedom of a
citizen, and iu the most unselfish love
for the real interests of the democratic
party. •
1. They believe—thousands of them—
that there is a ring formed in Georgia—
a ring of small men, of keen, schrewd,
active themselves aud ambitious politicians, loving
first, aud Georgia incident¬
ally as the mother ot offices and the dis
burser of spoils. They believe that these
men haye secured control ot the machin¬
ery of the party and intend to throttle
the free expression of the popular will.
They believe that these meu, confident
ia the fancied strength of their position,
aud reckless of public opinion, have met
m secret conclave and parceled out the
offices of Georgia for years to come,
without cousultiug their masters, the
people, w ho are expected to ratify iu
slavish and truculent ioj alty the edicts
of convention which these men shrewdly
manipulate 2. and selfishly “control.” them—
They believe—thousands of
that a goodly number, if not a majority,
of the judges aud solicitors of Georgia -
monstrous their thought!—have wrapped
splendid energies and their polite
cal fortunes in the future of the riug,
an that this highest aud noblest aud
most sacred branch of our civic life is
being stained by political manipulation,
and prostituted by the selfish scramble
of place.
This is the protest which is rolling in
silence and gai henug in menace in the
hearts and the hands of the people.
They believe these dangers to be real
and they are rising to meet them. You
shall not doubt the truth of the asser
tiou. I dare you who doubt it—whether
in personal or official state—to go with
me or send with me one w ho shall fairly
gauge this sentiment and fearlessly report tho sweep of
in Georgia.
And the people have a right to be¬
lieve this dreadful danger. If it is not
threatening, they it is not their fault No that
cherish the apprehension. ef¬
fort has ever been made to disabuse
them of this fear. Both of these mon¬
strous apprehensions have been estab¬
lished to their convictions; established
in circumstantial evidence powerful
enough to seem conclusive; established
in the open and oft-reDeatcd charges of
democratic orators and democratic news¬
papers, whose fiery allegations have
never been retracted or explained; and
established finally in the silence with
whi °b those charged with their burden
bave me t the serious aspersion, For
whether it be confidence in the strength
their plans, or an insolent contempt
for the opinion of the people, ox a pars¬
‘lexical regard for truth of statement, it
charges an apparent justification for these
that they have never been met
"'I rtth 1 * 1 brave and consideration manly definite or answered denial,
prompt d these
AlJ R things be true, there is
no extreme of action to which the hon
est protest of Georgia should not be car
rled - 1 he issue involved is greater than
parties, her than deeper than the tariff, and dead
any theory of currency. These
"‘tig moUll y «itn changing partus, but “the t lie
°P°, n sore on the body politic eats and
cankers aud destroys.
lhe of a P«*e judiciary towers
bke a mountain , peak above every other
question of the campaign. Mark you. it
'V l e shibboleth of _ thousands m
SSi,’,Sar:r,sr;: f his at !last , thinking and reading
is a a
P eo P lp - lho la f fc tour yenrs-the last
two campaigns—have been lull of edu
catl freely V u< and £ n mil 4 t , tLo vote peo P le fearless aru thinkin than 3
more
tho J have eve ? ( \°ne bKf °re. You can
not any longer shake the red rag of ue
f?r u supremacy m the face of the masses
aud make them think that life and death
aud salvation depend upon voting the
democratic ticket. They are thinking
J or themselves now, and erecting inthdr
b'eemmds and brave hearts a higher
to which meQ and meaanres
, n „ st „„ ^ r „,
queuce. It is galling enough if this riug
easts, for free and independent men to
know that henceforth they are mere
automatons made to register the deeis
ions of a star chamber caucus—mere hg
ure to dance and vote when these score
° r more bosses pull the strings. But
Bu* might be borne. Govern meats have
dispersed conspiracies before, and the
people of Georgia have smashed more
tliaa oDe .«“« lu t ‘ lei r glorious aud
eventful history. But .. the . , entrance of
the judiciary into tho selfish unbearable scramble of
^Irtesis monstrous aud It
touches the holy of holies m the state.
Think of one who wears the sacred er
“fine of the courts, aud sworn to dis
peuse impartial justice under the law,
owning his seat to a cabal and forced to
tico recognize the obligation ! Think of jus
held in any chair of dependence or
poisoned by any coward fear of interest!
Think of these high aud noble seats.
glorified by the great names of the past,
ambition prostituted into altars of self-seeking
and degraded into tribunals for
compounding the felonies of political
henchmen, or lor spiteful vengeance or
political antagonists ! Better monarchy
than republican infamy like this. Bet
tion ter despotism masked or populism than corrup
in the beautiful lineamenrs
of law. Better a king than a prostitute
judge! Better a Caezar than Jeffries!
I tell you, Constitution, that these
things are boiling in the noble veins of
Georgia. If the charges which base
them are untrue, it should be made crys
tiU clear to the comprehension of the
people. No pompous denial, no blataut
protestation will alone suffice for this,
Farnldy, repeated fairly and explicitly these oft
cliarges must be met aud the
iruih made manifest in the light of day.
If tUese charges are true, tiiere is yet
time to purge the evil and redeem the
party from disaster. If the riug is
formed, if the coalition exists, and if the
judiciary is in it, let the ring be openly
dissolved and let the ccurt officers, over
their own names, renounce all future
connection with political huckstering iu
the state. This bold, frank course is the
only way—the noble way—clear always
and open to patriots and statesmen,
As a democrat, as a lover of my party,
I plead with all my heart and soul and
strength for the purification of that
party—from the shadows which becloud
it- Nay, more ! As a citizen aud au
unimpeached representative, speaking
from my place m the ranks, I demand
t bis vindication before we go out to do
battle with a strong, clean and forrnid
able foe.
There is no treason in these true
words—at least none that 1 fear, either
now or hereafter. Liberated at last and
and finally from any desire for public
office, without hope of reward or fear of
punishment, I speak them fearlessly for
the essential good of the party aud
above all for the glory of the state. If
the fears of the people are unfounded, it
is time to make th s clear. If they are
just there be is forgiven, time for public sinners to
repent aud
-but if these denied, things are neither ex
plained uor thousands I swear Georgians to you that
there are of w ho
will hold their ballots as the expression
of their political consciences, aud hurl
them fearlessly in October at the head
of this open an defiant shame,
JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES,
You say the law can not make
money, but are compelled to admit
that law can unmake it. The fact
that law has unmade money, argues
that law had previously made money,
don’t it? If not, why not?
„ LABOR.
** Labor is robbed by the politician
and votes tor the robber.
Labor non-producer. produces wealth and votes
it to the
Labor builds fine houses and votes
them to those who don’t labor.
Labor produces everything to eat,
oios it to those who are uot hungry,
and goes hungry itself.
Labor makes fine clothes for those
who don’t labor.
Labor builds fine carriages for
drones to ride in.
Labor builds railroads and is rob¬
bed by the railroad companies. and
Labor creates capital is tyran
ized over by capital. the world and
Labor feeds goes
hungry itself.
Labor clothes the world, but wears
ragged Labor clothes. fool, has been
is a hese
eighteen hundred years and will Be'
until it uses ite best weapon—the
ballot—in self-defense.
Democratic tariff reform is now
seen to be a good deal like the pecu¬
liar mermaid you have heard about,
too much fish to embrace and too
much woman to fry.
NOTICE !
J. R. McLendon desires to inform the
public that he Eiaperators, ia prepared Kettles, to furnish Etc.,
Cane Mills, Call
on short notice. Cheap ron cash.
to see him. Jxu
STATE PLATFORM
Of the Peoples’ Party—Read and
Reflect.
'> o hereby renew our unqualified
endorsement of the national platform
of the Peoples’ party, and we favor
j n ,the State of Georgia the following
re f orm .
j The 11 ® abolition ™°“ lt:[0U of ot the ® nresent P use ^
convict lease system which , . prosti
tutes to the greed of private avarice
btate ssoveremn right to punish
her citizens for violation of law. tie
believe the State herself should keep
possession “ of her prisoners P and should
: j th u ¥ n fhe DU ** bH c roads '
and . not allow them brought . . in . com
petition with honest Free labor.
avoid 4 the burdens put
ple freauent upon our peo
j 1 bv y the Tr changes fu S of
b ?°, , vS w " ® a >0 * av ° r the P a y ment .
*
of the teachers monthly.
3. W e favor the enactment of an
unperverted framed Australian allow ballot illiterate law to
be so as to or
blind voters to receive aid in the
-1 1 * t ; f th • ballots * ’ when
they , so desire, from the . managers ot
eU'cUon.
4. We emphatically condemn
this co . mnati _i to ap
, .
judicial P y *? [ ne branches executive, ot our legislative national
state government.
3. Be ieving, as we do, that
eternal principles are necessary to
(TOO l „ 0 vernmont and to the
f 'atmu .. *' ot our n republican .•" "
an,1 > believing that a supreme
sity now exists for a determined
organized struggle against the
nipt despotism of centralized
we hereby JLi pledge ®i. ourselver anew
t . • t rl invit«
« n wp
‘ ‘ ‘
« ,, . . .
earn est co-operation ot all good Cltl
zens, irrespective of party; and upon
these united efforts in behalt ot th 3
cause of constitutional liberty
reverently invoke the blessings b
* AlmJo'htvGod ° ^
f v^. 1 TT 11 . Fr i^LLUNbiON, r typtoxt
Chairman „ . 1 .attorn Committee.
NOTIf’F iMUllh. 1
Tc My Many Foiends and Customers:
t I am still on i.« hand n a at „„ my Old «, btand, ,
Whiskies wi 1 lo ^ those a A°„ whom j ie I Lave; . (,rades car- ot
ri °d over dm lngsnmmei season, I must
say that my obligations are now due,
"V ai * d a “ ° b ?’
pleasa call . and[settle, as the demands
011 tlns mq»est ot
you without delay. Respectfully,
au{ = ^ohen.
Capitalists control both cf the old
parties. You workingmen of Amer
ice will fret no moro fhvonrrh
ol‘l n parties «i than the . 1 capitalists .' who ,
control them are willing you should
have.
Citation.
GEORGIA—Clay To all whom County;
it may concern:
Harriet Goodman lias in due form ap¬
plied to the undersigned for a twelve
month support for herself and her
child, Hfjsa Lee Goodman, out of the
estate of Samuel Goodman, deceased,
aud I will pass on said application on
the Given first Monday in September, 1804.
under my hand and official signa¬
ture, this August 6 th, 1894.
R. T. FOOTE, Ordinary.
When you hear a reform or
former spoken of contemptuously,
ask yourself recommendation whether that is not
strong in favor 0 >
both.
Saloon!
J. L. HURST,
Hancock St., FORT GAIXES, GA.
Encouraged by the prospects of good
crops, the Proprietor of this well
known and popular estab¬
lishment, has ordered,
and has on hand,
a large stock of
WHISKIES
WILD-CAT CORN,
CHAMPAGNE RYE,
WINES OF ALL KINDS,
ICE-COLD BEER,
TOBACCO & CIGARS.
His friends and patrons are
to call. aug 3
A LETTER OF 1863.
The following letter shows its re¬
lation to the Buel-Hazzanl circulars,
and was, no doubt, connected with
that glaring conspiracy:
Rothschild Bro’s., Bankers.
London, June 23,1863
Messrs Iklehedier, Morton and
Vandergould, No. 3 Wall Street,
New York, U. S. A.
Dear Sirs:—A. Mr. John Sherman
^as written us from a town in Ohio,
v g A in’the a s to 1he profits that mav be
ma(ie National Banking ° bus¬
• 1 , d ^ ce n . * i fc . c VOnr C
•
Sf e ® s > a copy ot which . act accompa
nied hlS . le t ‘ er - Apparently this act
has , been drawn I 'upon the plan forrn
u i ate d here last summer by the Brit
ish g&g.aagg'g 11 Bankers’ n can 1 Association nt s as one and ia bv it that ei.
"
. uld high!y
.profitable a< , l ?}° to the w banking ? P r0 ^ fraternity
throughout the world,
Mr. Sherman declares that there
.,* , .! fircanitaliite , , , , accumS
ltunit ^ to
lat f . that Presented , bv tins . .
e ,n V U * y ’,
net , and that the old plan of State
Banks is so unpopular, that the
new sc h em e will, by mere contrast,
bemorofavorablvregarded,not\vith- fact
standing tho that it guves the
ft au ^ « taolBto
gy^tem,” he says “will either bo so
j j n terested in its profits, or so depend
e ©DDoStion nt on its favors thatXs that there’ll he no
from while on
,, ie ,, ler an ^ k l t“a . °ty . ..
>
*i tbe P C 0 P‘°> mentally incapable of
compredending the tvemondous ad
vantages that capital derives from
the system wd i bear its burdens
wit b ou t complaint, and perhaps with
P u 1 t ® v( : n ^ P^cting that the system
.
T!? 1 lease adv.se ! e us ‘ rl ! fully i, as t to rh' this
matter, and also, state whether or
uo t y OU will be of assistance to us,
*
if w e conc i ude to establish a Na-
1 . i t» . • t] • J « N v ,
It,- ^ aVG acquainted • . with ... Mr. M bher
the man National (he appears to have introduced
glad Banking act), we will
be To know something of him.
If we avail ourselves of the mtorma
tion ho furnished, we will of course
™nr,!l 1 ,i n „ Zr Awaiting A ... ait ;
n „
j our lepiy, we art,
Y our Respectful Servants,
BOTHCHILD BROTHERS,
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
v'w'.'vwwwv'
W E are authorized to announce J, B.
gia Bussey's as a candidate the for action the Geor¬ the
Senate, subject to of
Democratic party, of Eleventh District.
For Tax Collector.
placing Thanking myself my before friends for with past support and
be huthful in the you future a in guarantee tho
; i to tE as discharge of duties as of Tax past, Col
’ 1 e my
| lector, l again oiler my service, and respect
fully ask the support of the voters of rny
county. W. li. IIAKnISON.
I hereby announce myself for Tax Col¬
lector of Clay county. I am physically u«
able to do manual labor, and should the
good with people of position, Olay county I wiii sec discharge fit to honor the
me the
duties of said office to the best of my ability,
II D. HAISTEN.
For Tax Assessor.
I hereby of annuonce myself for Tax Asses¬
sor faithful Clay county, discharge and if re-elected, the duties prom¬
ise a of of my
office. their Thanking the voters of Clay for
past support, I respectfully ask to
be remembered again. T, R. DAVIS.
MELON CARDS.
GEO. E, MARKS, JOS. RITTINER.
MARKS k RITTINER,
COMMISSION . . . .
• • • ■ MERCHANTS,
Whosale Fruits & Produce.
53 Poydras Street, NEW ORLEANS, LA.
References:
Whitney Nat’l Bank of New Orleans, La.
Metropolitan Bank of New Orleans, La.
Chas. J. Church & Co,. Bankers, Green¬
ville, Mich.
N. W. Mather, Banker, Howard Citv,
Mich.
Bradstreet’s Mercantile Agency.
— EDWARD BEILSTEIN, —
(Successor to Beilstem & Spangler,)
WHOLESALE -:- PRODUCE
Commission Merchant,
531 Liberty St. Pittsburg, Pa. .
PHY SICLAJNT S.
D. F. GUNN,
PRACTICING PHYSICIAN
jS^Ofilce next to Wallerstein’s.
W. $3 L. Douglas
SHOE NO IS SQUEAKING. THE BEST.
And other specialties for
Gentlemen, Ladies, Boys
and Misses are the
Best in the World.
See descriptive advertise¬
ment which appears In this
paper.
Take no Substitute.
Insist on having W. L.
DOIGLAS’ SHOES.
“ with and price
name
\ stamped on bottom. Bold by
A. M. WALLERSTEIN
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE
PEOPLES’ PARTY PLATFORM.
ADOPTED J!V THE OMAHA CONFERENCE OF LABORING
PEOPLE, JULY J, 1898.
A SSEMBt.Ef) upon O one hundred and sixteenth anniversary of tho declaration
of independence, O Peoples’ party of America, in their first national convcn
tho name t;on X - au invokingJ-pon oenai their action the blessing of tho Almighty God, puts forth in
ration of principles: , following preamble and dechi
The conditions which surround us best justify our cc-operation. Wo moot in tho
midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political and material ruin. C 01 -
1 option dominates tho ballot box, the legislatures, tho congress, and touches oven
tho ermine of the bench. The people ate demoralized. Most of the States have
boon compelled to isolate the voters at the polling places to prevent universal intfin
or bribery. The newspapers arc largely subsidized or muzzled, public opinion
silenced, business prostrated, our homes covered with mortgages, luhor impover¬
ished, and tho lands concentrating in tho hands of the capitalists. The urban work¬
men are denied tho lijht of organization for selt-protection; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages; a hireling standing at my, unrecognized by our laws*
is established to shoot them down, and they are rapidly degenerating into European
conditions. Tho fruits of tho toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for a few, unprecedented in the history of mankind, ntnl the possessors of
these, in turn, despise Hie republic mid endanger liberty. From tho same prolific
mode of governmental injustice we breed the two great classes—tramps and million¬
aires.
1 ho national power to create money Is appropriated to enrich bondholders. A
vast pubiic debt payable in legal tender currency 1 ms been funded into gold bearing
bonds, thereby adding millions to tho burdens of tho people,
HIE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNED.—Silver, which has been accepted as Coin
since tho dawn of history, has been demonetized to add to the purchasing power of
gold by decreasing the value of all forms of property, as well as human labor, ami
the supply of currency ispurposedly abridged to fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprises
and enslave industry. A vast conspiracy against mankind has been organized o 1 two
continents and is rapidly taking possession of the world. If not met and overthrown
at once it forebodes terrible social convulsions, tho destruction of civilization, or the
establishment of an absolute despotism. »
We have witnessed for more than a century the struggles of tho two great polit¬
ical parties foi power and plunder, while grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon
tho people. We charge that the controlling influences dominating both tlieso par¬
ties have permitted the existing dreadful conditions to develop without serious effort
to prevent or restrain them. Neither do they' now promise us any substantial re¬
form. They have agreed togethei to ignore in tho coming campaign every issuo but
one. They propose to drown the outcries of plundered people with tho uproar of a
sham battle over the tariff, so that capitalists, corporations, national banks, rings,
trusts, watered stock, the demonetization of silver and tho oppressions of the usurers
may bo all be lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice our homes, wives and children
on t he altar of Mammon; to destroy the multitude in order to secure corruption funds
from the millionaires.
Assembled on tho anniversary of the birthday of tho nation, and filled with tho
spirit of the grand generation who established our independence, wo seek to restoro
the government of the republic to tho hands of “the plain people,” with which c’ass
it originated.
THE WAR IS OVER.—We assert our purposes to bo identical with the purposes
of tho national constitution—“To form a more perfect union, establish justice, in¬
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote tho general wel¬
fare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.” Wo doclaro
t hat this republic ettn only endure as a free government while built upon tho love of
the whole people for each other and for the nation; that it cannot be pinned together
by bayonets; that the civil war is over, and that every passion and resentment which
grew out of it must die with it, and that we must be in fact, as wo are in name, one
united brotherhood of freemen.
Our country finds itself confronted by conditions for which there is no precedent In
the history of the world—our annual agricultural productions amount to billions of
dollars in value, which must within a few weeks or months bo exchanged for billions
of dollars of commodities comsumed in their production; the existing currency sup¬
ply is wholly inadequate to make this exchange; tho results are falling prices, tho for¬
mation of combines and rings and the impoverishment of the producing classes. Wo
pledge ourselves that if given power wo will labor to correct t hese evils by wise and
reasonable legislation in accordance with the terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers of the government—in other words, of the pooplo—
should be expanded (as in the case of the postal service) as rapidly and far as
the good sense of an intelligent people and the teachings of experience shall justify,
to the end that oppression, injustice and poverty shall eventually cease in the land,
THREEFOLD DECLARATION.—While our sympathies as a party of reform
are naturally upon the side of every proposition which will tend to make men intelli¬
gent, virtuous and temperate, wo nevertheless regard those questions, important as
they are, as secondary to the great issues now ptessing for solution, and upon which
not only our individual prosperity but tho very existence of free Institutions depend;
and we ask all men first help us to determine whether we are to have a republic to
administer before we differ as to the conditions upon which it is to be administered,
believing that the forces of reform this day organized will never cease to move for
ward until every wrorg is remedied and equal rights and equal privileges securely
established for all tho men and women of the country. We declare therefore:
l. That the union of the labor forces of the United States this day consumated,
shall be permanent and perpetual. May mankind. its spirit enter into all hearts for the salva
t i on 0 f the republic and the uplifting of
2 . Wealth belongs to him who creates it, and every dollar taken from industry
without an equivolent is robbery. “If any will not w»rk, neither shall he eat.” The
interests of rural and civic labor are the same; their enemies are identical.
3. We believe that tho time has come when the railroad corporations will cithor
own the people or the people must own them, and should the government enter upon
the work of owning and contiolling any or all railroads we should favor an amend¬
ment to the constitution by which all persons engaged in tho government service
shall be placed under a civil service regulation of tho most rigid character, so as *
prevent tho increase of the power of national administration by tho use of such ad .
tiouai government employes.
The Planks of the Platform.
1 . We demand a national currency, safe, sound, and fiexiblo, Issued by tho got,
oral government only, a full legal tender for all debts, public and private, and that
without the use of banking corporations; a just, equitable and efficient means of dis 1 .
tribution, direct to the people, at a tax not exceeding 2 percent., be provided, as set
forth in the’subtreasury plan of the Farmers’ Alliance, or some better system; also by
payments in discharge of its obligations for public improvements.
a. Wo demand free and unlimited coinage of silvor and gold at the present ratio
of 1 G to 1 .
b. We demand that the amount of circulating medium be speedily increasod to
not less than $ 0 O capita.
c. We demand a graduated income the tax. should kept much
d We beltevo the money of country be as as possible in
the bunds of the people, and hence wo demand that all State and national revenue
shall be limited to tho necessary expenses of the government, economically and
honestly administered.
c. We demand that postal savings banks be established by tho government for
safe deposit of the earnings of tho people .and to facilitate exchange.
2. Transportation being a means of change and a public necessity, tho govern¬
ment should own and operate the railroads in tho interest of the people.
а. 1 he telegraph and telephone, like the postoffice system, being a necessity for
the transportation of news should be owned aud operated by tho government in the
interest of the people. the national of wealth, Is the heritage of all
3 . The land, including all monopolized resources for and
the people, and should not be speculative purposes, alien own¬
ership of land should be prohibited. AU land now held by railroads and other cor¬
porations in excess of their actual needs, and all lands now owned by aliens, should
be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE PLATFORM.—Whereas other questions have been
presented for our consideration, we hereby submit the following,’not as a part of the
platform of the Peoples’party, but as resolutions expressive ot the sentiment of this
convention: all elections and
1 Resolved, That we demand a free ballot and a fair count in
.
pledge ourselves to secure it to every legal voter without Federal intervention
through the adoption by the States of tho unperverted Australian or secret ballot
system. Resolved, That the derived from graduated income tax should be
2. revenue a
applied to a reduction of the burden of taxation now resting upon tho domestic indus¬
tries of the country. liberal pensions cx-Union
3. Resolved, That we pledge our support to fair and to
soldiers s&ilors* protecting American labor under
4. Resolved, That we condemn the fallacy of
the present system, w'hich opens otw ports to the pauper and criminal classes of tho
world, and crowds out our wage earners; and we denounce tho present
laws against contract labor, and demand the further restriction of undesirable
8 ^ ! of organized
5 Resolved, That we cordially sympathize with tho efforts
men to shorten the hours of labor and demand a rigid enforcement of the existing
eight-hour law on government work, and ask that a penalty clause be added to the
said law. large standing ... of .
б Resolved, That we regard the maintenance of a artry merce¬
. liberties, and demand
naries. known as the Pinkerton system as a menace to our we
its abolition: and we condemn the recent invasion of the territory of \\ yoming by
the hiered assassins of plutocracy, assisted by Federal officials.
7. Resolved, That we commend to tho favorable consideration of the people and
the reform press the legislative system known as the initiative and referendum.
8 Resolved, That we favor a constitutional provision limiting the office of 1 res¬
. tho election of Senators of
ident and Vice-President to one term, and providing for
the United States by a direct vote of the people. national aid to private corpora-.
9 . Resolved. That we opposo any sudsidy or any
tion for any purpose.
TT
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